However, value buying at lower levels and short-covering ahead of the quarterly results season lifted prices.

The Q4 results season started from April 8. Infosys is expected to be the first bluechip firm to come out with its results on April 15.

Besides, news of an above average monsoon rains cheered investors. The IMD (India Meteorological Department) forecasted rains to be at 106 percent of the long term average on account of receding El Nino conditions.

In addition, expectations of a healthy Index of Industrial Production (IIP) numbers and contained figures of retail inflation (Consumer Price Index), buoyed sentiments.

Notwithstanding, gains were capped by unwinding of long positions ahead of the extended weekend.

The equity markets will be closed on account of Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14 and Ram Navami on April 15.

Vaibhav Agarwal, vice president and research head at Angel Broking, cited that markets closed in the green after forecasts of a positive monsoon cheered investors’ sentiments.

“Buying was witnessed in auto, fertiliser and irrigation stocks. Markets would react to the CPI (Consumer Price Index) and IIP (Index of Industrial Production) data due to be released later today,” Agarwal told IANS.

“Also, this being a curtailed trading week, we expect volumes to remain low with some bit of profit booking ahead of the long weekend.”

Nitasha Shankar, senior vice president for research with YES Securities informed that broader markets outperformed the headline indices, as high beta stocks witnessed fresh buying.

Sector-wise, healthy buying was witnessed in stocks of automobile, healthcare, and oil and gas, whereas scrip of metal industry came under heavy selling pressure.

The S&amp;P BSE automobile index surged by 286.40 points, followed by the healthcare index, which increased by 152.06 points; and the oil and gas index gained by 111.49 points.

In contrast, the S&amp;P BSE metal index dipped by 104.57 points.

Major Sensex gainers during Tuesday’s trade were GAIL, up 3.87 percent at Rs.365.20; Maruti Suzuki, up 2.82 percent at Rs.3,576.65; Hero MotoCorp, up 2.47 percent at Rs.3,049.95; Tata Motors, up 2.40 percent at Rs.395.10; and Adani Ports, up 1.92 percent at Rs.233.30.

Major Sensex losers during the day’s trade were Coal India, down 2.28 percent at Rs.274.45; Tata Steel, down 2.11 percent at Rs.324.15; ITC, down 1.18 percent at Rs.322.65; HDFC Bank, down 0.55 percent at Rs.1,064; and State Bank of India (SBI), down 0.24 percent at Rs.187.70.